herself that it couldn’t be true, that the reading she’d tried to do for Missy couldn’t possibly have ended up being about herself instead.
There was no way the cards had decided to inform her that she was destined to have an affair with a passionate, fiery, charismatic man with an arrogant streak and enough charm to seduce the pink off a flamingo. A man who sounded a lot like Graham Winters, but—unlike the smitten, thoroughly faithful werewolf—one who remained unmarried and unattached. One who maybe had sharp, Latin features and melting golden eyes. They certainly couldn’t be telling her she was the fool, poised on the brink of a journey that would change her life and leave her a different person than she’d been at the beginning.
No, that couldn’t possibly be happening to her.
Except that it was.
She swore, silently but creatively, and snatched up the last card in her deck before shoving the whole thing into its pouch and the pouch back into her jacket pocket, where it would be safe until she could take it home.
And burn it.
“Um, thanks … for … everything,” she fumbled, easing toward the exit, “but I have to—uh … I have to go now. Nice meeting you.”
She darted out of the kitchen and down the hall so fast she’d practically reached the front door before she heard them launch into protests behind her. She was just reaching for the knob when a large, dark hand closed over hers and stopped her.
A dark head bent toward hers, and Tess found herself suddenly feeling small and vulnerable, surrounded by this man for the second time in one night.
“What’s the matter?” His voice rumbled in her ear, low and rough and dark, and she fought back a shiver. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Tess laughed. “No, I’ve seen ghosts before. They’re not this scary.”
“Then what is? I know you’re scared of something, sweet Tess. I can smell it on you.”
She closed her eyes and shuddered. “Do you have any idea how disturbing that is?”
He chuckled and nuzzled her hair. “You’ll get used to it.”
Tess’s eyes flew open, and she shook her head emphatically as she fought back the panic that vow engendered. “No, I won’t. I’m not going to get used to anything about you, because I’m going to leave this house and go home to my apartment and pretend that I’ve never seen you. I’m never going to see you again. In fact, I think that’s going to become my favorite new hobby. Pretending that you just don’t exist.”
“You can pretend all you want, sweet Tess.” His tongue darted out to rasp at the sensitive skin behind her ear, making her shudder. “That won’t make it true. I told you in the alley earlier that I wanted to eat you up just as soon as I found out what you wanted with me. Well, guess what, Tess? Now I know. And now I’m feeling very, very hungry.”
“Tough.” She jerked away from his hold and tugged the front door open, darting down the steps as fast as she could. The Felix followed at her heels as if he didn’t even have to make an effort. She growled in frustration. “Would you go away ? What do I have to do to convince you I am not interested?”
Rafe smiled and continued to walk beside her as if they were out for a casual stroll. “If you want me to think that you are not interested, gatita, you’re going to have to find a way to stop yourself from becoming wet every time I talk to you. You will have to stop your scent from heating and ripening with your desire. Until you manage that, sweet Tess, I am going to know that while your lips tell me to leave, your body wants me to stay as much as I want it myself.”
She turned on him and let out a strangled groan of frustration. “My body also wants to eat three pounds of chocolate on the fourth Tuesday of every month. I don’t let it have that, so what makes you think I’m going to let it have you?”
“I think it,” he said, hooking one arm around her waist and pulling her to him
There was no way the cards had decided to inform her that she was destined to have an affair with a passionate, fiery, charismatic man with an arrogant streak and enough charm to seduce the pink off a flamingo. A man who sounded a lot like Graham Winters, but—unlike the smitten, thoroughly faithful werewolf—one who remained unmarried and unattached. One who maybe had sharp, Latin features and melting golden eyes. They certainly couldn’t be telling her she was the fool, poised on the brink of a journey that would change her life and leave her a different person than she’d been at the beginning.
No, that couldn’t possibly be happening to her.
Except that it was.
She swore, silently but creatively, and snatched up the last card in her deck before shoving the whole thing into its pouch and the pouch back into her jacket pocket, where it would be safe until she could take it home.
And burn it.
“Um, thanks … for … everything,” she fumbled, easing toward the exit, “but I have to—uh … I have to go now. Nice meeting you.”
She darted out of the kitchen and down the hall so fast she’d practically reached the front door before she heard them launch into protests behind her. She was just reaching for the knob when a large, dark hand closed over hers and stopped her.
A dark head bent toward hers, and Tess found herself suddenly feeling small and vulnerable, surrounded by this man for the second time in one night.
“What’s the matter?” His voice rumbled in her ear, low and rough and dark, and she fought back a shiver. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Tess laughed. “No, I’ve seen ghosts before. They’re not this scary.”
“Then what is? I know you’re scared of something, sweet Tess. I can smell it on you.”
She closed her eyes and shuddered. “Do you have any idea how disturbing that is?”
He chuckled and nuzzled her hair. “You’ll get used to it.”
Tess’s eyes flew open, and she shook her head emphatically as she fought back the panic that vow engendered. “No, I won’t. I’m not going to get used to anything about you, because I’m going to leave this house and go home to my apartment and pretend that I’ve never seen you. I’m never going to see you again. In fact, I think that’s going to become my favorite new hobby. Pretending that you just don’t exist.”
“You can pretend all you want, sweet Tess.” His tongue darted out to rasp at the sensitive skin behind her ear, making her shudder. “That won’t make it true. I told you in the alley earlier that I wanted to eat you up just as soon as I found out what you wanted with me. Well, guess what, Tess? Now I know. And now I’m feeling very, very hungry.”
“Tough.” She jerked away from his hold and tugged the front door open, darting down the steps as fast as she could. The Felix followed at her heels as if he didn’t even have to make an effort. She growled in frustration. “Would you go away ? What do I have to do to convince you I am not interested?”
Rafe smiled and continued to walk beside her as if they were out for a casual stroll. “If you want me to think that you are not interested, gatita, you’re going to have to find a way to stop yourself from becoming wet every time I talk to you. You will have to stop your scent from heating and ripening with your desire. Until you manage that, sweet Tess, I am going to know that while your lips tell me to leave, your body wants me to stay as much as I want it myself.”
She turned on him and let out a strangled groan of frustration. “My body also wants to eat three pounds of chocolate on the fourth Tuesday of every month. I don’t let it have that, so what makes you think I’m going to let it have you?”
“I think it,” he said, hooking one arm around her waist and pulling her to him
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